What is a Pasty butt on a baby chicken and what causes 'pasty butts'?

[Nelaka]

So what really is a Pasty butt on a baby chicken and what causes pasty butts?

Please also post some images or videos of 'Pasty Butts'.

Thanks In Advance!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Pasty butt is jut poop building up on the fluff aaround there poop holes. If it gets too thick and caked on, it will prevent the chick from being able to poop,(as in, the poop will not be able to come out, and the chick will die an very painful death if this happens). To prevent this, just check the chicks butts every now and again, and if there is any poop stuck on them, take a rag soaked in warm water, and massage the stuck poop off.

 

[gryeyes]

What miss_thenorth said. It normally only occurs during the first two weeks, and sometimes is attributable to overly warm brooder temps. Some folks have weak chicks and give them sugar-water, and if they keep that up for more than a day or two, that can contribute to pasty butt.

I think it's a symptom of stress, too. I have recently begun hatching chicks instead of buying them, and absolutely NONE of my hatched chicks have ever gotten pasty butt. They hatch, dry off and fluff up in the incubator, and I carry them into the bathroom to a nice, warmed brooder. No stress there. No being shoved into boxes for shipping, no traveling around in boxes full of other chicks next to more boxes of other chicks, bouncing around in trucks... and in many cases, dumped out into big bins of other chicks and being handled by lots of people, then being put into a box again and riding around to a new location where THERE is finally a warm brooder ready for it.

 

[Nelaka]

Thanks guys!

 

[pusskatkins]

Sigh, I have had soooo many problems with these three chicks. Frantic peeping furious scratching at the ears, now pasty butts. I just cleaned pasty poop off one of the chicks. It was two days worth. When I was done cleaning, I noticed his abdominal cavity shifted to the right and under his vent a small tear. Now, I think I would have noticed the cavity off center. I dont understand what is going on. These chicks were hatched on Tuesday and today is Monday. They aren't lethargic.
I had to moisten their eggs, because the humidity was very low in the incubator. It created curled feet which had to be taped. Now this. Don't ever use the Little Giant Incubator. It's the second time I have used it and it simply does not hold moisture, even with sponges lining the entire bottom.
Is there anything I can do for this chick?